Travels: Marrakech

November 17, 2012

An example of the different shapes and the light colored terra-cotta tile body.Slideshow

I thought I would write this post as soon as I returned home. In retrospect, I am am happy to have had the time to think about my trip (certainly on my bucket list of places to go and things to see), the intensity of the place situated on the edge of the Sahara desert, the ancient medina with its snake charmers, the saturated colors and the architecture influenced by a complex history.

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Books: Contemporary Classical

November 17, 2012

The inside front cover of CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL is a page from the author's design file. Beautiful classical architectural drawings as inspiration for the client.Slideshow

Andrew Skurman, the award winning San Francisco and Paris based architect, specializes in designing classical houses. This was not always the case. Early in his career, Andy worked with I.M.Pei and Partners designing office towers, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill where he learned to be in charge of large commercial projects and interact with clients and finally on to Gensler as a studio director. None of these prestigious firms created the Georgian country houses, French Chateaux or Mediterranean villas that Andrew Skurman Architects is known for today.

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Observations: Public Bathrooms Again

November 16, 2012

The ladies room in the new Ralph Lauren women's store on Madison Avenue and 79th Street is signature RL. The use of a Cararra marble counter top on washstand legs, a mosaic floor and beautiful black and white photographs is always classic.Slideshow

I haven’t written about public bathrooms in a long time, probably because most of them are abominable. But on my recent trip to Europe I saw several WC’s that merited photos.  Here are a few things that make a public bathroom worthy of this blog; of course, they must be sparkling clean, there must be a relationship between the design of the bath and its’ adjacent space (the lobby or restaurant), the fixtures should be in perfect working order and the lighting good for a makeup refresh. It is always nice if there are fresh flowers or a fragrant candle and, it goes without saying, the space needs to be visually pleasing.

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Personalize Your Bath: 1

November 16, 2012

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Only when you add your personal touch to a bath does it take on personality and reflect individual style and taste. The display of family pictures and art in this particular picture is a great example. Many of the items seem to be vintage; each has a soft patina. The layering of textures and finishes adds considerable warmth to the space. Additionally, the small table with shelves adds practical and decorative storage.

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